


A Werewolf's Confession

by RoseintheMist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26551261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseintheMist/pseuds/RoseintheMist
Summary: Sirius Black has done the impossible - he has broken into Gryffindor Tower. In the aftermath, Remus knows what he needs to do...
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	A Werewolf's Confession

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the amazing Harry Potter universe - this is just a fanfiction!** 😉
> 
> This is another scene my muse dreamed up in response to a question on Quora. I tried to really get into both Remus' and Dumbledore's heads to be true to them. Enjoy! 😊

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The school was quiet now, the students sleeping. It was time. Remus drew in a deep breath and knocked at the study door.

“Come in?” called a tired-sounding voice.

Remus slipped in. Scanning the room quickly to see if anyone else was present, he saw Dumbledore sitting alone behind his large, ornate desk. Resolutely he walked forwards until he stood a few feet away.

“Dumbledore-”

“Albus, please,” murmured Dumbledore, rolling up a long scroll.

“There’s something you need to know.”

Dumbledore’s head jerked up. His hands stilled and his eyes narrowed slightly. “Oh?”

“Yes. Something I should have told you much sooner. At the start of the year, in fact.” Remus took another deep breath. “Sirius is an Animagus. A large black dog.”

“What?” Dumbledore said sharply. “How do you know this?”

Remus fought not to drop his gaze. “Because he, James and Peter learned how to transform when I was a student in order to keep me company at the full moon. They had mastered it by fifth year.”

“They -” Dumbledore stood up abruptly and began to pace the circular room, his hands clasped behind his back. He turned. “What form did the others take?”

“James was a stag, and Peter was a rat.”

“A rat…” Dumbledore frowned, beginning to pace again.

Remus cleared his throat. “I thought you should know. It may be how Sirius got in. It could also be the Dark Arts, of course, but -”

“Yes, yes.” Sounding distracted, Dumbledore stopped in front of a tall black cabinet. Opening it, he began to pull silvery threads out of his head with his wand. He leaned on his hands for a moment, looking into a shallow stone basin.

Finally, he took a deep breath and turned around, fixing Remus with a steady gaze. “Why did you not tell me this at the start of the year?”

Remus stood straight. He deserved whatever censure was coming. “Because I had betrayed your trust in fifth year by leaving the safety of the Shrieking Shack to roam the grounds with the others. Their presence kept me from harming anyone, but… at times I slipped away briefly, and it could have been…” He swallowed. “Well, it was very foolish, and your trust means the world to me. So this year I - I put my own wellbeing ahead of the students, and particularly Harry, by convincing myself that Sirius was using the Dark Arts to get in. But after what happened -” He paused. “I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. Not if there’s the slightest likelihood that this is how Sirius got in.”

Dumbledore stood very still for a long moment, looking at Remus with a penetrating gaze. “Thank you, Remus,” he finally said quietly. “Yes, it would have been far better to have told me at the start. Things could have ended up much worse than they did. Though…” His gaze turned thoughtful. “There is more to this, I think, than it appears...”

He seemed to recollect himself and looked at Remus again, his gaze kind. “I do understand your hesitance, Remus. Though it does not fully excuse you, I know how much your life has cost you, and how valuable your friends have been to you… misdirected though some of your past adventures were. I applaud you for coming to me now. That took a great deal of courage.”

Remus relaxed slightly. Dumbledore had come through for him again. But he could forgive himself less easily. He looked earnestly into the old wizard’s eyes. “Thank you for trusting me, Dumbledore. I will do anything I can to help you, and I can assure you I have no ties to - to-”

“I know,” said Dumbledore simply. He looked over at the pensieve. “I will say this: not everything is as it seems. There are things about this attack that appear strange to me. And your information tonight has raised new possibilities, possibilities I do not yet fully understand.”

After a moment he seemed to gather himself. “In any event, I will keep you informed of any new developments, and I will of course alert all concerned to watch out for a large black dog.”

Remus’ heart twisted. That dog had been his close friend - his companion on so many adventures… But he would not allow himself to indulge in bittersweet memories. He nodded sharply and turned for the door.

“And Remus?”

Remus turned. Astonishingly, a bit of a twinkle glimmered in the old man’s eyes. “That was quite the feat for three fifth years to accomplish. And under my nose as well.” Then his gaze became serious. “Take heart, my friend. There may yet be some twists in this tale.”

As often, Remus couldn’t fathom what the Headmaster was referring to, but he did feel a bit lighter as he left - if only because one of his burdens had been lifted. And, yes… because somehow, he now too felt a bit of hope.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not sure how this would have impacted the rest of the year, but I think Dumbledore would have at least begun suspecting a few things, perhaps even the possibility of Wormtail still being alive. Any ideas? 🙂


End file.
